Posted 3 years ago
BHIFOS
(392 items)
Couldn't believe it when I saw these on Trade Me what fantastic things. Apparently they came out with the family from Scotland in 1928. Unfortunately they have a couple of issues the feet have lots of chips but they sit straight and don't wobble (I see there was one on the net for sale in the US and they mentioned the feet on theirs look to have been ground back flat to hide the chips) also one of the top prongs had been broken and glued back on (the real problem here is that sometime between being packed by the vendor picked up and repacked and sent to me it's gone walkies!) There was also another piece glued back on with super glue yes it had all the powdery marks around it, don't know how she didn't spot it but never mind I took it off scrapped and cleaned the glue off and then reattached with some clear epoxy (much better now). There is missing gold paint from the lizard and all the filigree bits but I'll leave it as is. The lizards are amazing they are fully dimensional and have small red beads for eyes. The flowers are white, yellow and pink. does anyone know what they are? I would love to have them undamaged but used the old "where will I ever see one let alone a pair of these again" and they were cheap, I can only think no else bid as they were "pick up only" fortunately a company I deal a lot with at work was only just down the road and one of their guys did me a favour. 332mm high and 200mm wide including the lizard!
Fabulous vase pair, love those lizards
I believe the flowers and foliage are those of the Forget-Me-Not.
Thanks for the flower ID Watchsearcher!
Just so special, & amazing to have the pair. They've certainly had a long & eventful life!
You know, I think these might even be by a Bohemian maker - the beaded eyes seen to me more a European style than S&W, not that they didn't make some outstandingly fanciful glass. The flowers are reminiscent of forget me not but the foliage, no...I have a huge crop of them in my garden right now & the leaves are rounded off at the ends, not divided. So perhaps a little artistic licence?
I learned yesterday, from a very knowledgeable collector of English glass, that S&W made predominantly utilitarian household glass and very little Art Glass. I was astounded.
While I wouldn't necessarily attribute this pair to Stevens and Williams, they are very well known and documented to have produced a significant amount of art glass.
I don't know how the overall quantity compared to utilitarian work, but I would certainly consider them a robust Art Glass producer.
For over two decades Frederick Carder worked for the company and created some amazing pieces of cameo glass.
I believe that S& W also held a patent for the matsu no ke application of glass florets and another threaded glass patent (exact name escapes me at this time)-- both art glass techniques.
scott
Maybe a case of me just not being familiar with their utilitarian production?
Did the collector provide some specific examples and quantities? If possible, I'd like to learn some more, peggy.
You have peaked my interest!
scott
I labeled it as S&W as I came across this one on Mr Google and it has Stourbridge acid stamped on the bottom.
https://www.rubylane.com/item/636424-MP0002714/Stevens-Williams-applied-lizard-enameled-art
scottvez, It was a Facebook thread. However she's steeped in English glass, has a very well curated site and I've never known her to be hasty or wrong.
BHIFOS My statement was not intended to doubt the provenance of your pair of beautiful vases in any way. One, S & W did make exceptional glass and some will have survived, Two, your vases are first cousins of the blue S & W example at the end of your link without a doubt. Three, on your link, top row centre are a pair of orange vases with applied glass at $295. They are Chinese and often listed as Murano on ebay UK. They very rarely sell due to the preponderance of Facebook groups which ID glass. I have happy memories of 'Trade Me' myself!
Hi Peggy wasn't at all upset about your thoughts please keep commenting on my posts the more opinions from everyone the better chances of getting things right. It was more a case of a bit of doubt creeping in from all views that I went back and rechecked the source for what I had stated on my post. I have also printed off the picture of the base to keep with the vases.
And yes we get a lot of new Chinese glass sold here as "Murano" :)